Nuggets game day: Denver looks like a new team entering rematch against Suns

The Denver Nuggets’ Jan. 19 loss to the Phoenix Suns was the last straw for Michael Malone. Two days after that game, Malone declared his team needed to rediscover its offensive identity from the 2016-17 season.

“Teams didn’t know what the hell we were doing last year,” Malone said. “We just played with great pace. We’re playing really slow right now. We used to run. We’re not running as much. We used to cut. We’re not cutting as much. We’re just standing. I want to get back to being a team that’s hard to guard.”

Since then, the Nuggets have averaged 112.7 points per 100 possessions — the fourth-best mark in basketball — and gone 6-3. Denver will face Phoenix again Saturday (7 p.m., Altitude) looking more like the free-wheeling version of itself. The Nuggets have earned wins over the Thunder and Warriors over this recent stretch of games but also got blasted by the Houston Rockets on Friday.

“What are we gonna do? Say, ‘Aw man, they kicked our ass?’” Will Barton said afterward. “Got to get back to it tomorrow because if we’re still thinking about that, Phoenix is going to kick our ass too.”

The Nuggets suffered one of their worst losses of the year in the 108-100 defeat against the Suns on Jan. 19. In that game, Denver allowed Devin Booker (30 points, 11-23 FG) and T.J. Warren (25 points, 11-17 FG) to go off. Denver won’t have to worry about Bookers in Saturday’s game. He’s been ruled out with a hip pointer. Tyson Chandler will also not play.

Elfrid Payton, the point guard the Suns acquired at the trade deadline, is expected to play. Payton spent three-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic. He is averaging 13.0 points and 6.3 assists.

The Nuggets also acquired a point guard at the trade deadline. Devin Harris will join Denver in Phoenix, but it’s unclear if he’ll play.

The Suns have lost nine of 10 games after beating Denver on Jan. 19, with their only win in that stretch coming over Harris’ former team, the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns are 18-38 overall.

Nuggets Projected Starters

Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Wilson Chandler, Nikola Jokic

Suns Projected Starters

Elfrid Payton, Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender